In the construction art it is common to use a weep screed of sheet metal at the base of exterior walls of a structure to help support an exterior coating and to provide a barrier to water entering between the exterior walls and foundation of the structure. It is also theorized that stucco may absorb some water which can then "weep" out of the exterior wall. It has also become common to apply a shear panel to the exterior framing of the structure for seismic or other reinforcement reasons particularly since the 1971 Sylmar earthquake in California. This shear panel is typically made of plywood and is attached to the framing of the structure just above its foundation, which is typically concrete. In the ordinary case, a footprint of the shear panel extends wholly or partly beyond the concrete foundation. When a sheer panel is used, the weep screed is applied to the base of the sheer panel. The exterior surface which is then applied to the shear panel and weep screed does not cover the bottom edge of the shear panel.
It has become a problem with this type of construction scheme that rain water, or sprinkler water or hose water can splash into the shear panel and still plate from below. The weep screed has a vertical attachment member, then a first member which is outwardly protruding and angled downward, a second member protruding from the first member back toward the concrete foundation, and a third member extending downwardly from the end of the second member. The first member aids in supporting the exterior coating surface. Any water which comes into contact with the exterior coating surface which may be absorbed into the surface and possibly also into the building layers underneath the surface can drain downwardly and weep from the structure along the edge of the weep screed. This weep screed also helps to reduce the amount of moisture which comes into contact with the shear panel, in particular, the bottom edge of the shear panel. This is desirable as moisture can be absorbed by the shear panel causing warping and swelling of the panel, with a resultant cracking or deformation of the exterior coating surface.
Although weep screeds are somewhat effective in minimizing the amount of moisture absorbed by the shear panel, their design is such that a significant gap exists between the lower portion of the weep screed and the concrete foundation due to the sheer panel, thus allowing rain water, sprinkler water or hose water, to be splashed between the foundation and the weep screed. This water can come into contact with the shear panel and be absorbed into the panel. While weep screeds are intended to reduce moisture absorption, a problem still exists, particularly in areas where water is permitted to accumulate near the edge of the structure. Moreover, as weep screeds were designed prior to widespread use of shear panels, the weep screeds provide no way to accommodate different gaps between the shear panel outer surface and the concrete slab's edge, due to different tolerances, different thickness shear panels, and other factors. Furthermore, weep screeds are currently made out of sheet metal which is subject to rusting over time.